Life-saving apparatus.



T. B. AUD.

LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30.

Patented Dec. 15 19M.

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Jvwawtm m ibneooeo firm-Am- 1 1 LIFE-SAVING APIPATUS.

Specification Letters Patent.

. Patented Dec. 15,191d.

Application filed March so, 1914. Serial no. 828,233. 4

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. AUD, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Herndon, in the county of Fairfax and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus; and I do declarethe follow: ing to be a"full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improved life saving devices and more particularly to water-proof union garments for this purpose.

The object of the invention is to' p rovide a simply consitructed'life preserver 1n the form of a garment for incasing the entire body except the head and face and constructed to protect the wearer against both wet and cold. q j I Another object of the invention is to provide a garment of this class which may be quickly applied and which will reliably sup-v port the wearer with his head and shoulders above water and which is so constructed that no water can enter after it has been properly applied.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certaln novel featunes of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as' will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the garment in position on the wearer before the closures are secured; Fig. 2 is a similar view partly in longitudinal section: Fig. 3 is a front ele' vation of this improved garment in operative position on the wearer and ready for use; Fig. 4 is a similar'view with parts broken out to show the position of the entrance tube after it has been drawn within the garment and in the actof being positioned ready for use; Fig. 5' is a similar view showing saidtube secured in opera tive position; Fig. '6 is an enlarged detail transverse section of the lower portion of the garment showing the entrance tube before it is drawn into the garment bythe wearer.

In the embodiment illustrated, a one-piece body incasing garmenti is shown in the form of what is commonlvlmown as a union suit having feet and hand pockets contiguous therewith and with a n entrance tube for facilitating the doimi ng of the garment. This garment 1 is constructed of an suitable water-proof material and is pre erably provided with a linin of wool or other suitable non conducting eat retainin material to'protect the wearer against col when the -body s immersed in icy water. This garment is provided. at its 'upper'end with an opening 2which is" equipped with a soft rubber yoke or guimpe 3, and collar 4 to adapt the head of the wearer to pass easily therethrough and after the head has been inserted the buckle 5 and strap 6011' the co1- lar are connected to adjust the collar to closely hug the wearerslneck and prevent water from entering at this point.

The body portion of the garment below the sleeves is equipped with any suitable means 'for rendering this portion of the apparatus sufficiently buoyant to support the wearer with'his'head and shoulders above the surface of the water.

To {)rovid for the quick-application of this ga','rment, it is equipped with an entrance tube 7 communicating with an opening in the body of the garment at the front thereof and at a point above the-bifurcation or leg portion. This opening and tube aresufficiently large topermit the body of the wearer to pass therethrough and the legs to be inserted in thelegs. of the garment, and the body portion of the garment is large enough to permit the wearerto movehis arms and hands freely therein for adjusting the various parts after the legs have been placed in the bifurcated portion of the garment in a manner to be described. This tube 7 is constructed of the same material as the body of the garment and is made comparatively short with an inner,tube 8 secured therein and extending beyond the free end thereof. Thistube 8 is'made of light weight waterproof material, preferably thin rubber,

which, will readily stretch and may be foldeddnto a small space which 'is desirable to render the garment lessbunglesome When in use. 1

An apron 9 is securedat one edge to the inner face of the outer tube 7 and is prothe body of, the wearer and it rubber entrance tube 8 to prevent wear thereon and accidental cutting or abrasion of the soft rubber.

A strap 12 is secured to the thin rubber tube 8 and is adapted for. fastening it in position in a manner to be described.

In the operation'of this apparatus, after the wearer'has entered through the tubes 8 and 7 and placed his legs in the legs of the garment, the body portion of the'ga-rment is drawn upward and the head passed through the neck portion. Before placing his arms in the sleeves, the wearer will draw the soft rubber entrance tube 8 into the garment and after twisting said tube the free end thereof is folded into the position shown in Figs. 4: and lhe strap 12is then tightly secured around said folded end whereby the tube is tightly compressed and all possibility of water entering therethrough is thus pre vented; The strap 12 is then secured in position on the inner face of the garment preferably near the shoulder thereof as shown in Fig. 5 which disposes the free end of the tube above the normal water level of the garment. when in operative position and thus renders the device doubly safe. The apron 9 is then drawn up between the flexible tube 8 and the body of the wearer and the fastening elements thereon are engaged with the coiiperating elements on the inner face of the body portion ofthe garment whereby the apron held. in position between said tube 8 and the body of the wearer and said tube thus thoroughly protected. The arms of the wearer are then placed in the sleeves of the garment and he may then ad ust the collar strap to cause the collar to tightly fit around his neck, .The outer tube 7 is closed by rolling it inwardly, from the free end toward its closed end into the position shown in Fig. 3 and it is provided on its outer face at suitable positions with loops 13 through which straps 14- secured at one end to the outer face of the garment at or above the waist line, are passed and the free ends-of said straps are secured in position by buckles 15 as shown in Fig. 3. I 4

Automatically operating valves 16 are provided at the shoulders of the garment and when the lower portion of the body of the wearer is submerged in. water, the air contained in the garment will be forced upward and pass out through these valves 16.

A. hood 17 is preferably used to protect the head of the wearer and as shown, is constructed with a fiaringdepending skirt 18 to fit around the neck and shoulders of the wearer and to readily shed water therefrom and to prevent its entrance thereunder.

Fastening clips orclamps are preferably provided at the ankles of the garment to hold it in position on the foot of the wearer which is especially necessary when weights are employed which latter are de signed to hold the feet of the wearer under the water to prevent them from floating or coming to the surface.

While I have described my invention with more or less minutene'ss as regards details and as being embodied' in certain precise forms, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly anymore than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction and arrangement or omission of immateriat elements and substitution of equivalents-as circumstances may suggest to render it expedient.

I claim as my. invention:

1. A lifeprese'rving apparatus compris ing a water-proof union-,'garment having an opening at its top for the passage of the head, an outer entrance tube communicating with th'e'body of the garment-at a point intermediately of the ends of said garment, an auxiliary water-proof tube secured at one endito the inner face of said outer :tube and adapted to be drawn into the garment, means for closing said auxiliary tube water tight, and means for closing saidouter tube.

2. A life preserving apparatus comprisinga water-proofunion garment having an opening at its top. for thepassage of the head, an outer entrance tube communicating with the body of the garment at a. point intermediately of the ends of said garment, an auxiliary water-proof tube secured at one end to the inner face of said outer tube and adapted to be drawn into the garment,

means for. closing said auxiliary tube watertight. and means for supporting said closed auxiliary tube above the normal water level of the garment.

3. A life preserving apparatus comprising a water-proof union garment having an opening at its top for the passage of the head, an outer entrance tube communicating with the body of the garment at a point intcrmediately of the ends of said garment, an auxiliary water-proof tube secured at one end to the inner face of said outer tube and adapted to be drawn into the garment, means for closing said auxiliary tube water tight, means for supporting said closed auxiliary tube above the normal water level of the garment, and means for protecting said inner tube when in operative position.

4:. A life preserving apparatus comprising a water-proof union garment having an opening at itstop for the passage of the head, an outer entrance tube communicating with the bodyaof the garment at a point intermediately of the ends of said garment, an auxiliary water-proof tube secured at one end to the innerface of said outer tube'and adapted to bedrawninto the garment, means for closing said auxiliary tube watertight, an apron secured at one end to said garment and having means positioned for detachably securing the free end thereof to the inner face of the garment inside said auxiliary tube.

5. A life preserving device comprising a Water-proof union garment having at its top an adjustable opening for the passage of the head, an entrance tube having its open inner end secured transversely across 'the Waist, the communication of the tube with the garment being independent of the opening at the top of the garment, said tube being of suificient length to permit its open outer end to be flattened and rolled upon itself up to the waist to render it water-tight, means for securing the rolled-portion of the tube to the arment, and a flexible Water-proof auxilmy tube secured in said outer tube and adapted to be drawn into the garment, and means for closing said auxiliary tube.

"In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. 1

'- THOMAS EDGAR A'UD.

Witnesses: v

CARL GIOVANNETTI, J. A. GRIIESBAUER. I 

